Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-01-07


the highway, his limbs too feeble 10
follow, even if he heard? Somehow. he
wanted 10 Get "home' again. and. by
this token. he seemed TO feel the first
chill breath of approaching age.
He wanted TO see Lima, his daught-
er, who must be nigh onto twenty
year, y rs he phrased it.
Lima a woman! 1t was strangel He
took from his pocket n tintype of Lima
at SIX months-a gogglc-cyed baby
with indistinct features-and then he
looked ut the picture of himself and
Annie, taken the day after marriage.
He was in all the glory of "store-
clothes. with a large gold pin stuck
in his Scarf-a little bit of Imagination
on the part of the photographers One
large hand was outspread upon his
knee, and the other clutched Annie 5
shoulder They were seated at re-
Spectful distance from each other, rs if
not on very good terms. Annie had.
also, gold pin, and gold earrings
and Il finger ring" as she called it.
Her head had great deal of hair piled
upon it, and large, white lace scarf
was outspread on her bosom feet.
everything that dress could do. aad
been done TO spoil her rustic prcttinesS
Folks said we were m lightly hand
some couple, thought jimmy. Il
don't see no women nowadays that We
rot red checks like Annie had | won.
der if Liner fayorS her, now she 5
grown.
After he had seen his daughter, he
would take the road again, to earn
more money and save it. rs provision
for the old age that seemed advanc-
ing"
" Pears to me like | can't see as
good as did," he muttercd. getting
Stiilly on his feet. and passing his hand
across his eyes.
He felt sluggish. and the organ
seemed to weigh more on his back
than of yore. He gave the monkey
quite paternal smile. as the creature
scrambled up on his shoulder Jimmy
was fond of animals. and Bcppo had
been a companion to him.
1T amt eXac'ly Ike havin' regular
human bein' with you he used to ex-
plain; but its like body that ain t
right wise, one o the harmless kind
that don hurt no one.
He was still some distance from Pal
myra, his native village His usual
plan was to pass the night i'm the house
of some good-natured countryman;
carrying in his knapSack the daily sup
ply of food for himself and Beppo
\ day. tramp brought h IN near Pal
myra, and he began to realize that IT
was illness, not age, that was pressing
upon him.
He stopped to get some water at a
negro cabin pcrched precariously upon
bullock, which was rapidly washing
away on all sides. The woman Of the
house stood with her hands on her
broad hips, frowning in the sun as she
gaZed AZ IN.
You look mighty peaked, she re-
marked, got dc measles ?'
Il dunno. said Jimmy. listlesslv.
well. You rc broke out like you'd
got EN-. Praise de Lawd, we've all
had en-, um Lilly Rosahe down to dc
old man. To be shore, dc ole man 5
done chop his toe with axe, an now
has dat to contain with, AMI she fol-
lowed Jimmy into the road 10 pour her
sorrows into his dull ears.
How his feet tagged. But il was not
far on-not SO very far-and Lima
would nurse him now that he was SICK.
He wondered if many changes had
taken place in the village. He could
see, i'm fancy. his Sistcr-n-law' prim
little house, painted yellow, with brown
shutters, the neat little white fence,
and. in the yard, the Cape jasm ne BUSH
cs. the rosy crape-myrtlc trees. and the
mimosa spreading its fcathcrv branches
like a sun-shade. How well he rcmem-
bcred that gentecl, chilly parlor of hers,
with the horse-har furniture; the fire.
place blocked with a screen of gaudily-
lowered paper; the long-faced clock on
the high mantcl-pieca, ilanked by two
large pink shells; blue vase ut one
end, and AT the other, n white plaster
deer that had very black ewes, a red
nose. and highly archcd black eve
browS, which gave it an expression of
perpetual surprise.
Jimmy knew these adornments by
heart He had conncd them over so Of
ten on those long dull Sundays that he
and Annie had spent with Mrs. Crane,
in the old days
Well, here he was in Palmyra at last
1t looked very much the same. There
was the courthouse with its sky blue
dome and the tall clock-towcr; but he
could no longer tell the hour. at such
distance. Everything was dull and
quiet. \ few horses were tied at Il rack
facing one of the saloons. and some
men were sittn in front of the wealth
cr-beaten stores An oN-wagon crawled
along the street, with u tattcred negro
driver trudging beside it, cracking his
whip, and shouting encouragement to
Brandy, Whisky, Logan and Red An
other wagon was stopping at the gro
Gerry, and one of the oxen was lying
down. dragging the yoke heavily on
patient neck OF his mate.
Jimmy had to pass the church on his
wa TO his sister-in-law' : house.
Here was a transformation, II was
freshly painted and had stained-glass
windows, quite like city church
Something was going on msIde-per-
haps a wedd ne As Jimmy stopped
and rested his organ on the banquettc,
with Beppo on top of it, the bridal
party came forth.